Sunny Day at Club Med Miches

We’re hoping for less rain today, but we still managed to do a lot yesterday despite the weather. We start with breakfast and then walk to the pickleball courts. The heavy rainfall last night has created flooding throughout the resort. Some of the walking paths are flooded and the playground is nearly unusable due to flooding. I’m not sure the status of the courts. We tried to play pickleball yesterday, but the courts were too wet. Today, they are open, and we grab paddles and a ball and move to an empty court. I’ve taken my son to the tennis courts at home, and he was frustrated with how hard it was. I tell him pickleball is easier than tennis. He does try it but is frustrated with his lack of control. We play a few more balls than he wants to and then we finish. It is blazing hot, and the sun is out so I do understand him wanting to be in water versus here. 

It’s time for the pool! The main pool has one side of cabanas and one side of regular loungers. The regular loungers are mostly taken, but all of the cabanas are open. I wonder if there is a cost to have a cabana, but it doesn’t look like it. I examine the situation closer and realize the loungers are all decently shady and the cabanas are in direct sunlight. We take a cabana, but my body will feel this decision later. We enjoy the pool and at some point, walk to the bar for Mango Pineapple Smoothies. The smoothies are made with pineapple juice, ice, and a mango puree. They are really good, and the mango puree doesn’t taste artificial. 

The sky is blue, so we take this opportunity to go kayaking. We wanted to kayak yesterday, but the intermittent thunderstorms kept us away. There is a water sports shack on the beach, and the Club Med staff assists us with getting life jackets and paddles. The kayaks are already ready on the beach. He pulls one of the double kayaks to the water and we climb in. There is a pretty large area marked with buoys for us to explore that is separate from the swimming areas. We easily paddle to the other side then turn around to come back. I realize that now we are fighting the current and paddling back will be harder. The sky was blue when we started, but grey skies cover us as we’re making our way back. We’re showered with a light rain which is okay, but the rain has also created much rougher conditions. I seriously question if I can paddle us back to the start. I think the worst-case scenario is we let the current take us in and then walk back. Luckily, the rain stops, and blue skies reappear. The water turns back to relatively calm and then we’re back on our way. We make it back! I mention the rough waters to the Club Med staff, and he acknowledged how rough it was and that he was keeping an eye out. He also said they have a motorized boat and would have used that to rescue us if the weather had continued. That’s good to know we wouldn’t have been stranded! 

After kayaking, I convince my son to go on a walk. We walk along the beach to the opposite side as our sunset walk yesterday. Our walk yesterday ended with a wall that marked the end of the property. The other end of the resort has no wall, so we continue walking. The map shows that the new Secrets Playa Esmerelda and Dreams Playa Esmerelda isn’t too far from our resort. Not too far, but also farther than I think I can get my son to walk. Luckily, the walk is pretty and interesting. We find a random rope swing and a small creek that feeds into the ocean. The walk also has a few bends so the anticipation of what’s around the corner helps. We actually make it to the new resorts! These resorts haven’t opened yet, so it mostly looks like a ghost town. The beach has no loungers or tourist swimming. There are four lifeguards here though which I find very peculiar. These two resorts sit on a beautiful cove with turquoise water and a mountain peak backdrop. The wind and waves are noticeably stronger than Club Med and I wonder if the weather has just changed. We return back to our resort and also return back to a calm and peaceful beach. There must be something about the cove that creates wind. Wind or not, the resorts look beautiful, and I think they’ll be really nice once they open. 

The Treasure Hunt is next! We take a golf cart ride over to the kid’s club which is where the app says this adventure starts. Along the way, the driver stops to talk to a woman on a bike. She works for the kid’s club, and he asks if anyone else is there. It turns out the start of the treasure hunt is not at the kid’s club, but at the restaurant. We go to the restaurant instead. There are snacks out, so my son enjoys some fruit and cereal while we wait for it to start. Almost all the children are French and Captain Waffle greets them. She explains that there are evil pirates, and the kids need to help her find them. Also, they need to find clues. She says this in both French and English. Evil pirates are found, and “sword” fighting follows between the pirates. The swords are pool noodles. They do this about three times at different locations around the resort and the final duel ends with the evil pirates in the swimming pool and a treasure chest is found. The treasure is a chest of candy, and each child gets a cone full of sugary snacks. My son was super into this whole thing and was a really wonderful experience for him.

Volleyball is next on the agenda. We arrive a few minutes late and the match has already begun. There is a large turnout for volleyball! My son builds sandcastles while I watch him and the volleyball match. The players are actually pretty good! I eventually join for a game when the crowd thins. It’s been ages since I played so it was nice to do it! There were other children on the sidelines too, so my son made some friends. It was a nice way to end our sports for the day. 

It’s dinner time! Tonight, I have the lamb chops with gratin cheesy potatoes. Tonight’s dinner is special because “The Secret Chocolate Room” opens. There is a line to enter the room, and we wait patiently until it’s our turn. We feel like we’ve walked into the tasting room and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. My son says, “This is paradise.”